Ballmer met with firm that controls Yahoo China A meeting between Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Jack Ma, the CEO of Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba Group, which controls Yahoo in China, has led to speculation that the software giant might have resurrected its bid to acquire Yahoo.

SAN FRANCISCO – Yahoo’s stock has sunk to its lowest level in nearly five years, magnifying the challenge facing the internet company as its management tries to justify their rebuff of Microsoft’s $47.5 billion takeover bid.

Yahoo Inc.’s stock sunk to its lowest level in nearly five years Thursday, magnifying the challenge facing the Internet company as its management tries to justify their rebuff of Microsoft Corp.’s $47.5 billion takeover bid.

With Microsoft’s $47.5 billion takeover bid off the table and his company’s stock price down 20 percent during his 13-month reign as Yahoo’s CEO, Jerry Yang has a message for his exasperated shareholders: Things aren’t as bleak as they look.